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08/09/2015
Karen Buckley's Murderer Alexander Pacteau Jailed For Life
A man found guilty of murdering student Karen Buckley has been jailed for life.
Ms Buckley, 24, who was originally from Cork, went missing in Glasgow after a night out with friends. Her body was found on a farm four days later.
Alexander Pacteau, 21, killed the student shortly after meeting her outside a nightclub in April of this year.
Television cameras recorded the sentencing hearing on Tuesday morning at the High Court in Glasgow. Pacteau was jailed for a minimum of 23 years.
He had initially denied murdering Ms Buckley, but last month pleaded guilty.
Pacteau met the victim outside the Sanctuary nightclub, where she had been with friends, in the early hours of Sunday 12 April. The student told her friends she was going to the toilet but she did not return or collect her jacket. The pair were spotted on CCTV images talking before they walked to Pacteau's car. He killed Ms Buckley shortly afterwards. Her body was found inside a barrel at a farm four days later.
Jailing Pacteau, judge Lady Rae said she found it "extremely difficult" to find words to describe what he did to Ms Buckley.
In a statement, Ms Buckley's family said: "Today's life sentence will not bring our beautiful Karen back. Our little angel has been taken from us forever in the cruellest of ways.
"We mourn for her every day. It will however ensure that women are safe from harm from the truly evil coward who took our beautiful Karen's precious life.
"I hope that he is never released and spends every day in prison haunted by what he did.
"We all want to move on and try and piece our lives back together. We have three wonderful sons and we need to be there for each other as a family. We would be grateful if we can now be left alone to grieve and our family's privacy be respected.
"Karen is at peace now and we know that she is in heaven looking down on us and helping us."
Ms Buckley, a nurse, had moved to Glasgow in February to study occupational therapy at Glasgow Caledonian University.
(JP/LM)
Ms Buckley, 24, who was originally from Cork, went missing in Glasgow after a night out with friends. Her body was found on a farm four days later.
Alexander Pacteau, 21, killed the student shortly after meeting her outside a nightclub in April of this year.
Television cameras recorded the sentencing hearing on Tuesday morning at the High Court in Glasgow. Pacteau was jailed for a minimum of 23 years.
He had initially denied murdering Ms Buckley, but last month pleaded guilty.
Pacteau met the victim outside the Sanctuary nightclub, where she had been with friends, in the early hours of Sunday 12 April. The student told her friends she was going to the toilet but she did not return or collect her jacket. The pair were spotted on CCTV images talking before they walked to Pacteau's car. He killed Ms Buckley shortly afterwards. Her body was found inside a barrel at a farm four days later.
Jailing Pacteau, judge Lady Rae said she found it "extremely difficult" to find words to describe what he did to Ms Buckley.
In a statement, Ms Buckley's family said: "Today's life sentence will not bring our beautiful Karen back. Our little angel has been taken from us forever in the cruellest of ways.
"We mourn for her every day. It will however ensure that women are safe from harm from the truly evil coward who took our beautiful Karen's precious life.
"I hope that he is never released and spends every day in prison haunted by what he did.
"We all want to move on and try and piece our lives back together. We have three wonderful sons and we need to be there for each other as a family. We would be grateful if we can now be left alone to grieve and our family's privacy be respected.
"Karen is at peace now and we know that she is in heaven looking down on us and helping us."
Ms Buckley, a nurse, had moved to Glasgow in February to study occupational therapy at Glasgow Caledonian University.
(JP/LM)
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Ireland WeatherThis Evening and Tonight:Dry with good clear spells bringing a rural frost for some and some fog patches in places. Cloudier around the coast of Country Down where the odd light shower may develop. Northerly breezes persisting. Minimum temperature 0 °C.
